Adam: 3 Days Rediscovering Our BeginningSample

The Promise of a Deliverer

After God cursed the ground, He promised that a deliverer would come. He said to the serpent:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

The rest of the Old Testament is all about this Deliverer. It tells us what we need to know to discover who he is, what he has done, and how we can share in the blessing he brings.

From Adam’s story we learn who God is. God is our creator. He owns everything, and we belong to Him. God is good and all that is good in our lives and in our world is a loving gift from His hand.

We also learn who we are. We are made in the image of God, and we are made from the dust of the ground. Every human life has unique dignity and worth and every person depends on God for everything. Adam’s story also helps us to understand why our world is so troubled. All that is sad and all that is bad in your life and in the world can be traced back to the catastrophe of Adam’s rebellion against God.

Adam’s sin opened the door to evil, and led to his, and therefore our exclusion from paradise. War, greed, hatred, and violence are all effects of evil in the world. Drought, earthquakes, sickness, and death are all effects of the curse.

This is the beginning of the Bible story, but it is not the end. God has promised that someone born of a woman would triumph over evil. That person did come! His name is Jesus and He came into the world not to save a part of us, but to redeem the whole of us. He came to bring us, soul and body, into the joy of His presence forever.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion

• After hearing God’s explanation of why our world is so troubled, what kind of deliverer do you think our world needs?
• What would this deliverer need to do?

This study was taken from the book Fly Through the Bible by Colin Smith. To continue learning about scripture's major people and themes, consider purchasing a copy here!